Q&A with Ryan Hunter-Reay

Ryan Hunter-Reay

Ryan Hunter-Reay spoke to Detroit Free Press sports writer George Sipple this week as he prepares to compete in the Verizon IndyCar Series IndyCar Grand Prix on Saturday, ahead of the Indianapolis 500 on May 28. Hunter-Reay, the Verizon IndyCar Series champion in 2012, won the 2014 Indianapolis 500 by 0.0600s of a second over Helio Castroneves in the second-closest finish in the history of the iconic race.

Hunter-Reay will then come to Detroit to drive the No. 28 DHL Honda for Andretti Autosport in the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, June 2-4.

On his 2014 Indianapolis 500 win and if he ever talks to Castroneves about it: "We talk about it here and there. We know it was one of the best finishes in Indy 500 history. We have a lot of respect for one another and I think you can tell by the way we finished that race. It was pretty intense. We had never done anything like that up to that point… Inches apart at 230-plus miles per hour required a lot of cooperation and a lot of aggression."

On wanting to win the Indianapolis 500 again: "I'd love to do it again. That's the ultimate goal. Last year we led the most laps up to the halfway point and got taken out in pit lane in a very unfortunate pit lane incident. That is something that is at the top of my to-do list, trust me."

On his season heading into Indianapolis, which includes a top four finish at St. Petersburg: "It's been a bit frustrating. A lot of bad luck. …. Before the race in St. Pete we had an electrical issue that made us start three-quarters of a lap down. Ended up finishing fourth.

"Long Beach – running second, closing in on (James) Hinchcliffe, who was the leader. And we had a shot at the win there and another electrical (issue)…. Just been one of those years. We need to get the ball rolling. Hopefully saving all that good luck for Indy."

On the road course at Belle Isle: "I love the track. I love the race. My experience there dates back to 2000 when I ran there with the Barber Dodge Pro Series. Have some great memories there. It's hard to beat the setup and the location of the Belle Isle Race Course. It's almost like the two were made for each other."

On the uniqueness of the Duel in Detroit and coming off a month of racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: "It's certainly not easy coming off the hectic schedule and the grind of Indianapolis. You're on the track every day and then go right into a doubleheader weekend. It's not only mentally draining, it's physically draining. It definitely stacks up on you. I have become accustomed to it over the years. It was certainly hard after my 2014 win (of the Indianapolis 500) to go to New York for all the media that we had there and get maybe four hours a sleep a night and go straight into a race weekend. That's a good problem to have, I think."

On his second-place finish in 2013 at Detroit: "We had a car that could win that weekend. On the second day I made a mistake and hit the inside wall at an apex of Turn 7, which took us out of contention. We've definitely been there. We've been close to that top step. Getting a win in Detroit… would be a huge one for us."

On why he wants to win at Belle Isle: "It's a city, obviously, that has a huge involvement with the auto industry. It has a lot of history in racing. You think back to the Formula One races, IndyCar races, CART races. And now we've been back for successful events. It has a lot of history. Detroit is somewhere I watched as a kid in racing and somewhere I competed for a number of years. I want to definitely break through to that top step. Been on both step of the podium except for the top one." George Sipple/Detroit Free Press